Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why, during an interview on the BBC's "Today Programme" on 13 January, the Home Secretary advised licensing authorities to phase the time at which public houses and clubs close when the guidance on the Licensing Act 2003 indicates that licensing authorities should not "seek to engineer staggered closing times".

Lord Bach: The information requested is given in the table below.
	Figures are for UK Regular Forces, including both trained and untrained personnel; and therefore exclude Gurkhas, full-time Reserve Service personnel, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment, mobilised reservists and naval activated reservists.
	
		Strength of UK Regular Service personnel on 1 April 1997 -- and 1 April 2004
		
			 Service 1 April 1997 1 April 2004 
			 Royal Navy   
			 Officers 7,220 7,030 
			 Other Ranks 31,230 26,610 
			 Total 38,450 33,640 
			 Royal Marines   
			 Officers 700 740 
			 Other Ranks 6,000 6,510 
			 Total 6,700 7,240 
			 Army   
			 Officers 13,720 14,720 
			 Other Ranks 95,090 98,030 
			 Total 108,810 112,750 
			 Royal Air Force   
			 Officers 11,040 10,960 
			 Other Ranks 45,830 42,430 
			 Total 56,870 53,390 
		
	
	All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Due to the rounding methods used totals may not always equal the sum of the parts.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government acknowledge the contribution that sport makes in tackling health, social exclusion and building community cohesion.
	Sport England's recent announcement of their four-year funding totalling £315 million for 32 priority and development sports in England has been allocated against a number of criteria including consideration of these issues.
	This investment spans grassroots to international elite performance and is designed to make England active: helping people to start and stay in sport, providing the solutions to increase and widen the base of participation for everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnic origin or disability; developing a dynamic network of clubs, coaches, and volunteers: to create a sustainable infrastructure for retaining people in sport.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: ECGD has no investigatory powers in relation to such allegations but always refers any allegations of corruption which are brought to its attention to the National Criminal Intelligence Service.